1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to a waterbed frame construction comprising a peripheral frame for supporting and containing a waterbed mattress or bladder wherein the frame is cushioned around the upper and side edges, is of lightweight rigid construction and is provided with a slot along the side edges for receiving a tuck or the peripheral edges of bedclothing.
2. Background
The development of so called waterbeds wherein the mattress comprises a waterfilled bladder of a plastic or similar flexible material has presented certain problems in the art of bed construction. Conventional waterbed construction comprises a perimeter frame of generally rectangular configuration and constructed of relatively heavy and stiff structural members, usually made of wood, and of sufficient strength to contain the waterfilled mattress to maintain the desired shape. The strength requirements of the frame have usually been met by providing a perimeter frame of conventional heavy wooden planks supported on a deck. The deck member is mounted on a substructure also comprising a perimeter frame enclosing an egg crate type cross frame structure to support the upper frame, deck, and the waterfilled mattress. The bed structure is usually also provided with a flexible plastic liner disposed around the inner side of the upper perimeter frame to contain the mattress and any water which might leak out of the mattress as a result of a puncture.
The conventional frame construction described above has several disadvantages. The massive upper perimeter frame is heavy in itself, is uncomfortable when sitting on the edge of the bed or when contacted by a person getting in or out of bed or during movement on the bed when sleeping. Moreover, conventional waterbed frame construction has presented problems in the use of standard sizes and configurations of bedclothing such as sheets, mattress pads and blankets. One problem with the use of conventional bedclothing is in regard to sheets, for example, which cannot be easily retained in place on the mattress. If the edges of the sheets are tucked between the mattress and the safety liner they do not remain in place due to the flexibility and deformability of the mattress and the low coefficient of friction of the plastic material used for the mattress and the liner. Moreover, conventional waterbed frames do not provide any means for securing the edges of bedclothing if it is desired to cover the upper sides of the frame as well as the mattress. In other words, since the bed structure has been modified to provide support for the flexible waterbed mattress the use of standard bedclothing has been made difficult and inconvenient, and the appearance of the bed has been relatively unattractive.
Several modifications of the above-described conventional waterbed frame structure have been attempted. For example, one type of waterbed frame comprises a peripheral rigid framework which contains the waterbed mattress or bladder and over which a cushioned shell or cover is disposed to increase the comfort of sitting on the bed and to give the bed the appearance of a conventional inner spring mattress and box spring arrangement. However, one disadvantage of the aforementioned type of waterbed construction is that the cushion extending over the sleeping surface of the mattress reduces the comfort factor and therapeutic value originally intended to be provided by the waterfilled bladder type mattress. Another disadvantage of the cap or shell type frame construction is that the sleeping area covered by the waterfilled bladder is reduced, or alternatively, the frame must be so large that special oversized bedclothing must be provided to cover the shell or cap. The rather bulky and heavy shell or cap must be removed to gain access to the waterfilled bladder or mattress for inspection and/or servicing as required. Moreover, the aforedescribed shell or cap type structures are relatively complicated and expensive and still require the use of a rigid perimeter frame structure for containment of the mattress. The cap or shell type waterbed frame structures are also difficult or impossible to adequately disassemble for transport purposes.
Accordingly, prior art efforts to overcome the disadvantages of waterbed construction have not been entirely successful and have not alleviated certain problems associated with waterbed structures. However, with the development of the present invention several desired features of waterbed construction are provided which have been heretofore unrealized.